


Fine Print

by MissRedpen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Google Mamas' name, Hades being thick, Of course he has a mother, Other, Rumpels' Mama, Villians being heroes, mild AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-17
Updated: 2016-06-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 13:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7223527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissRedpen/pseuds/MissRedpen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rumpelstiltskin and the gang want to free his mother from Hell.  Hades has a contract.  But the devil is in the details. Please read and review.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Fine Print

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own OUAT characters, but Mama is all mine.

Fine Print

 

"You'd better read that again."

The voice came from a tall, lanky blonde haired girl in her late teens. She stood behind Snow with her bow, Charming and Emma--both brandishing swords, Regina holding a fireball in each hand, Belle and the map out of Hell. Rumpelstiltskin took the point position, holding his arms in front of himself like he was wielding shields.

Before the group stood Hades, a smug grin on his face and a scroll of parchment in his hand.

"Why should I? So I can gloat that I won?"

The girl, who was at an age where she should be all legs and elbows, moved through the crowd of champions with grace and confidence; even Regina bowed her head when the girl passed by.

"Mama, what are you doing?" Rumpelstiltskin hissed as she placed herself in front of her son. 

She gently put her hand on his forearm.

"Trust me." she whispered. He knew that voice. It was the same one she used when he was a boy of seven and she sang the bad dreams away. Her soothing alto wouldn't release them from the place nightmares were made.

"Um...no. Just read it." This time her tone had an edge, like she was trying to spare Hades from embarrassing himself in front of guests. He sighed and unrolled the scroll.

"I, the party of the first part, Thistle Thrawn Stiltskin do hear by swear and promise to relinquish my soul to the party of the second part, Hades, aka "The Unseen One," aka Aidoneus, aka Plouton, et al honorifics and labels upon birthing my first child." He shrugged the well-padded shoulders of his shiny suit. "I don't see a problem. You had a son," Hades pointed at Rumpelstiltskin, "your soul is mine and why are you looking at me like my fly is open?"

Thistle stood close to Hades, pointed to a section on the page and read it aloud.

"Upon birthing my first child."

Hades blinked. Then he stared at the words.

"Fuck." he muttered.

"What's going on?" Rumpelstiltskin asked, surprised to see Hades with his shoulders slumped.

She walked to her son and placed a soft hand on his cheek.

"You deserve to hear the truth. I'm not your mother. I didn't give birth to you."

Variations of the Five Great Questions stood at the door of Rumpelstiltskins' mind, all pushing to get out at once.

"What?" fell over the threshold.

"It was market day. I was on my way to town when I found a basket in the woods. You were buried under a couple of blankets. I had wanted a family, but your father...you know what he's like."

Rumpelstiltskin nodded with unhappy knowledge.

"So I took you home. I'm sorry."

Rumpelstiltskins' eyes welled as he wrapped his arms around the girl, holding her closer than a dragon does his horde. He searched vocabularies in his mind; live languages and dead, to find the proper poetic expression. Instead, he answered like a son should.

"You've always been my mama. You always will be."

Snow gave Charming her handkerchief. Emma blew her nose on her shirt hem. Belle shepherded the group toward the light streaming from Storybrook. Fireballs levitated over Reginas' palms, just in case.

Rumpelstiltskin spoke for everyone.

"Mama, let's go home."


End file.
